The Shadows Live
by Dragonrider7
Summary: Something is lurking in the streets of gotham but has quickly spread like a plague all over the world. This is like nothing the JLA have ever faced before. Will they be triumphant or will this growing darkness envelope these great heros forever?
1. Prologue

**Okay think of this chapter as more of a teaser/prologue and you'll do all right. It is a poem and yes it was written by yours truly. I hope you enjoy! R&R please. So sorry that this is so short but** **this is all for now.**

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Disclaimer: I don't own anyone unless you have never heard of them before then they're probably mine.

The Shadows Live: Prologue

**Don't Look The Shadows Breathe**

Don't look the shadows breathe.

Don't move the shadows walk.

Don't listen the shadows whisper.

Don't look the shadows breathe.

Beware the darkness has a mind.

Beware the darkness has a voice.

Beware the darkness has eyes.

Beware the darkness has hunger.

Red eyes that glow.

Yellow fangs that glisten.

The shadows are everywhere.

"Famished."

"You will burn, you will bleed."

Hearts

Hearts so fragile so, pathetic

Are bleeding, bleeding, pouring, pouring, with Sickness.

"Bleed until you cannot."

"Burn until you are purged."

"Bleed until your blood is burnt."

"Burn until your blood is gone."

Beware the shadows

Don't let them near.

Beware the darkness

It feeds.

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**Well there you go I hope you liked. I hope to update soon so bye until next chapter.**


	2. Growing Darkness

**All right! Lets do this! Here is another installment of 'The Shadows Live.' This story is gonna get really creepy and gory so if you don't like that kinda stuff I would suggest that you quit now. You have been warned. The rating speaks the truth. There also may be some swearing. Hope you like. R&R please! Hey this is also my first attempt at a good horror so please tell me what you think. **

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Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in here but I really wish I did.

The Shadows Live chapter 2: Growing Darkness

Today was a rather peaceful night in Gotham. No robberies, no muggings, no drive by shootings, no nothing and that is what was scaring the dark knight so much tonight. Gotham was never peaceful. Gotham was never quiet. There was always something out there going wrong. But not tonight.

Tonight something was terribly wrong for none of the criminals to come out. Fear had crept its way into the heart of his city and he was not the source. I t had even made its way to him.

Muscles taut and tense he stood upon a roof guarding his city. He was a silent protector. But he was not a hero. No he was something more. Much more. But now this protector was unnerved by the stillness that infected his city. The streets were completely empty. Not one soul was out. All the shades were drawn and the doors locked in the surrounding houses.

He felt a presence all around him. One he could feel but not see. One that could harm him but he could not harm it.

"_Famished"_ He heard a whisper in his ear for the third time tonight.

He whizzed around to see only shadows. But now he saw them. Truly saw them. They were deeper than shadows. He saw a faint glimmer and then all at once the glimmer and deepness in the darkness disappeared.

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Up in the Watchtower:

"Geeze ya think that after three weeks Bats would at least call. We've tried to get a hold of him but what do we get? Nothing." The Flash complained.

"Hey Bats has probably got a pretty good reason for not calling us or clueing us in on what's going on down there and even if he did it's none of our business what goes on in his city." The man of steel responded from his perch on one of the higher decks.

Everyone was on edge tonight. For three weeks no one had heard a thing from Gotham's Dark Knight. It was Batman to leave them hanging like this for maybe a week or a week and a half. Not three weeks. Something was terribly wrong.

Everyone had gathered in the watchtower's monitor room. When a beep sounded signaling that Bruce had turned on his communicator.

"Finally." Wonder Woman sighed.

"Superman to Batman what do you need?"

Their response was a lot of static but slowly emerging from the static was something else.

"The comm'links aren't supposed to give out static are they?" Sheyera asked.

"No they aren't. Something isn't right."

Slowly they heard something else amidst the static and they leaned in closer to try and decipher it.

"_You will burn. You will bleed." _The unearthly voice in the static sent shivers up their spine.

"_Gotham is burning, Gotham is bleeding. Gotham is mine."_

"White noise." J'onn stated.

"What?" Everyone said in unison.

"White noise. It's not static but white noise."

"_Your friend is mine. Faamissshhhed." _Then the noise and the voice came to an abrupt halt.

Superman got up and flew from his chair while screaming, "We have to get to Gotham. Batman's in trouble!!"

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A shiver went up Bruce's spine once more. He was going to give himself five more minutes before he turned around and went home. Nothing was going to happen tonight.

Then a scream pierced the silence of the night and Batman sprang into action. Running for all he was worth. Leaping over rooftops and sliding down fire escapes to reach the scream's source.

He made his way to an old warehouse. Not yet abandoned yet seemingly so. He crept in through a window and made his way to the center of the room.

The building was pitch black and in complete silence, which made him wonder if he was correct about the location of the scream. Then he heard it again. echoing around him. But no one was here. Perhaps it was a recording. But no, if it were a recording he would be able to detect a slight mechanical sound to it. There was none. The scream was genuine and real.

Something was terribly wrong. The darkness was too thick. It seemed to be trying to choke him, to drown him. He heard hisses and whispers. Then he realized exactly what was wrong.

No light. There was supposed to be a streetlight on outside. Shining through the window. But it wasn't there. No light could penetrate the darkness he was in.

He was surrounded by it. By he Shadows. The disease that had infiltrated Gotham and he was unaware. Unaware of this Sickness. Unaware as it watched him. Watching, watching, waiting, waiting, to strike.

He was suddenly reminded of the horrors that Flash liked to watch. The old corny ones where you could tell exactly what was going to happen and even the modern ones. He was reminded of some of the little rules of horror. One of which was 'If you're in a dark room don't look up cause the monster will always be there with its head turned around the wrong way.'

"Batman! Batman come in!" He heard Clark shout suddenly over him comm'link. So suddenly it made him jump.

"What!" He whispered. He was surprised at how afraid he sounded.

"Wherever you are get out of there and haul ass now!"

Since when did Superman swear and when did he turn on his comm'link?

He heard another hiss and looked up. He gasped and found it hard to breathe. His breath hitched came in short gasps. His mouth hung open and his skin paled giving the impression that he was dead.

"Batman what is it? What's wrong.?!"

He couldn't take his eyes off of the ceiling.

"Bruce!!"

"Don't look the shadows breath." He said in a small whisper, voice wavering and showing his fear.

"Bruce run!!"

Glass shattered and blood sprayed as the Sickness struck. The screams of Gotham's protector echoed through the empty streets to the ears of his friends.

The night was stained with the blood of a Forgotten Warrior.

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**There we go I hope you all like it. Tell me truthfully. Did I do a good job? I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long. See you next time.**


	3. Infected

**Here we go again. Hey if you like this story please review for it so I know people are interested.**

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

The Shadows Live chapter 2: Infected

Tears filled the eyes of the world's greatest heroes and the members of the batclan as they mourned for their comrade and father. As they mourned for Bruce. For Batman.

"This shouldn't have happened to him." Tim sobbed.

"I can't imagine what could do that to Bruce." Clark stated through tears of his own.

How they had found Bruce was terrible and his condition was even worse.

_Flashback:_

"_Bruce run!!" Superman shouted over the comm'link. Fear filled the man of steel as he realized that Bruce was afraid. If he ever was he never ever showed it. Whatever had called them was there. It had Bruce._

_Then a scream split the air. It echoed over the comm'link and through the streets. Superman immediately turned off his communicator and flew towards the screams. _

_He led them to an old warehouse. Superman flew in without hesitation but he did notice the fading darkness inside. It was thicker than it was supposed to be. No light got through and it seemed to be caving in on itself or being sucked into something. But also inside the Blackness he could just make out a pair of eyes. Shining red eyes and glimmering yellow fangs._

"Shade?"_ Clark thought. But he was wrong. So wrong._

_He entered the building through a shattered window stained with blood. Fresh blood with a shred of black cloth upon it._

_He heard someone gasping for breath as if scared. He ran to the middle of the room, the rest of the league on his tail and found Bruce. The awful memory hung, still fresh, in his mind. He had been too late. Too late to help his friend._

_There on the floor in the middle of the room was Bruce. He was curled up hugging his knees with his head tucked between his chest and legs. He lay in a pool of his own blood. His Kevlar suit was torn so much that he was barely decent. Deep cuts marred him and he was crying. Crying out of fear._

_When they leaned down and touched him he shrank back. But his eyes remained closed as if in a dream. He fell limp and they carried him back to the watchtower hearing the occasional groan or incoherent mumble from Batman._

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Once more a terror filled scream pierced the air. They all looked over to Bruce in the medical room. His B.P and heart rate were off the charts. J'onn was currently trying to calm him with telepathy but to no prevail. Someone or something was blocking him.

He seemed to be in a coma. Like the ones Dr. Destiny would put them in. But it was impossible to scare Batman. Yet this person did. This was not Destiny though. No this was someone new.

J'onn telepathically called for help in holding the frightened hero down. Even though Bruce was tied down he still had enough strength, when he was this scared, to break his bonds.

Everyone rushed into the room. Most just sat watching, helping whenever they could. While Clark, Diana, and J'onn attempted to hold the screaming Batman in place.

He writhed and groaned as if in pain then went dead. Not moving, not screaming, still alive but gone.

Everyone let go. Dick had done his job. He had drugged Bruce while everyone else held him down. This was the third time they had done that. Still they could not leave him. They all just sat there staring at their friend.

Then all of a sudden Bruce shot up, gasping for breath and snapping his straps like thread. Everyone moved forward to hold him down again but stopped in their track s when his eyes shot open and all the room seemed filled with another form. A cry rose up from everyone in the room as they saw the Bat's eyes.

What were normally bright sapphires were now pure black. No iris, no whites, just black. Just like the shadows in the building. The eyes held a more demonic appearance. Yes, Batman could look beyond a person's face, breach their defenses, and know exactly what they're thinking, but these eyes did more than that. These eyes peered past your defenses, tore them down, and stared into your very soul. These eyes were indeed Bruce's but something else filled them. Some other form. Some other creature.

He jerked and claw marks appeared across his face, bruises formed on his arms and face. It seemed as if he was in a battle. This raged on and on. Leaving bloodied mark after bloodied mark along Bruce's form. His face suddenly tensed, he cried out and fell back onto the soft sheets. The deep blackness fading from his eyes.

"Bruce?" Diana whispered in a soft tone. She was scared. They all were. No one had seen eyes like that. What was wrong? Who or what was doing this?

His head turned toward them. The blackness seeping in through the corners of his eyes was being held at bay by the sheer willpower of its host.

"Beware the Shadows. Don't let them near. Beware the Darkness. It feeds." He whispered, eyes wide with fright. The blackness enveloped his eyes again but he let out one more strangled warning.

"The Sickness hungers. Kill the Sickness. Save the world." Then he screamed again, eyelids closed once more and he fell back into his nightmare.

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**Okay all done. For now. Please review I need to know what you all think of this! I need some uggestions on what Batman's nightmare might be. Please send me your ideas. Toodles!!**


	4. Nightmares

**Okay this chapter took some thinking. But I finally got it. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews.**

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Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in the story except the never before seen characters.

The Shadows Live chapter 3: Nightmares

"_The warehouse is gone. I was there just a second ago. But why was I there?"_ Batman thought to himself as he sat in the watchtower sickbay.

He sat up and looked around. Something felt wrong.

"_Faaammiisssshhhhhed."_ He heard a whisper but no one was here.

He felt wrong. Like he wasn't supposed to be here. He sat on the edge of his bed and tried to remember.

"_A scream, running, jumping, then darkness, a hiss, looking up…"_

"Hey Bruce you're awake!" The unexpected shout startled him out of his meditative trance.

He looked up to see superman standing in the doorway and yet it wasn't him. He could feel it.

"_Bruce no. Bruce come on speak to me. Wake up." _He heard Clark shout but from a great distance.

Wake up? That's what this was this was a dream. Why was he dreaming?

"You okay?" The creature in the doorway asked.

"Something's not right!" He winced slightly as a dull pain ran through is head. He got up and walked past the superman imposter.

"Bruce?"

"I wasn't here I was in a warehouse. I looked up! Oh crap."

"Bruce hey it's me Clark you need to rest."

"NO! You're not Clark! This isn't the watchtower. I'm not really here this is just a dream!!"

"Batman!"

"NO!! SHUT UP!"

Suddenly an unearthly wail pierced the air and instead of superman next to him stood a shadow. Nothing more than shadow yet it was more. This shadow was a living, breathing thing. He felt one thing coursing through him. Fear. Yet at the same time he felt hunger.

"_The Shadow's hunger." _He thought.

"_I should have expected no less from a shadow warrior." _Its whisper pierced through his ears and sent pain snaking through his entire body.

This thing felt like a disease. Like a Sickness that ate you from the inside out. Yes it was the Sickness. That is what it was called where it came from. He could see into its mind and it into his.

Suddenly it lunged. Batman turned and ran from the room but the Sickness trailed after him. Drowning out all the light.

Then it faded. All at once it just swept away. Then Dick rounded the corner. Bruce visibly relaxed and let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

"Hey Bruce." Dick said. But he felt it again. That presence. The Sickness. This wasn't his son. This wasn't Dick.

Batman started backing up as Dick's eyes began to glow and ominous red and the light began to fade.

"_Bruuucie. I'm hungry father. Your little boy is hungry." _He whispered through rows of glimmering fangs.

"No." He whispered and ran down the hallway.

As he ran his Bat suit became tattered and torn it felt familiar. It was the only thing that felt right. It became so badly torn that he was almost indecent but that didn't matter the Sickness was closing in.

"_Come back Brucie."_ It shouted in a singsong voice.

"Bruce!" He heard the frightened shout of Tim as he ran. He turned to see the small boy hiding underneath a chair in an adjacent room. He ran over to him aware of the Sickness getting closer. He could see tears in his son's eyes. He hoisted Tim onto his back and kept running.

"Bruce what's going on? What is that?!" Tim asked from atop Batman's back.

"I don't know Tim but we've got to stop it." He felt as if he had forgotten something important but no all that mattered was getting his son safe and stopping this thing.

Suddenly the small child was yanked off his back. He turned but was greeted by a solid black wall. The Sickness was keeping him from saving Tim!

"Bruce! Bruce help me!" The boy screamed. "Dad please help me!!"

Bruce could only stand there and listen to Tim's screams of terror and agony. He kept hitting the wall and screaming.

"Its gonna be okay Tim! I gonna help you I promise!" Once more Tim's screams filled the air and tears began to flow down the Bat's cheeks. Tears of fear.

"Some one help me please!!" He screamed to the darkness. "Help me!!" he screamed again as he beat upon the wall in front of him. Then, all at once, the screams of Tim stopped.

"TIM!!" Bruce screamed as the darkness retreated and lying on the floor was his child. Bruised and bloody.

"Tim." He whispered through tears as he touched the young child. He tried to find a pulse but there was none. He was covered with claw marks and laying in a pool of his own blood. The eyes had been ripped from their sockets and devoured. Chunks of flesh had been torn out leaving large gaping holes with veins or tendons dangling.

Tim was gone. The Sickness got him.

"No. Tim NO!!" He cried as he cradled the still form in his arms. He had never seen a sight this brutal before. He could have dealt with it but not on Tim. Not Tim. He knelt on the floor holding his lost child and crying. Blood smearing across his face and chest.

The Shadows crept back again and whispered to him. Fear shot into him and he ran. Setting Tim's lifeless body upon the ground he ran.

He ran all about the empty dark watchtower. Fleeing the Sickness that was always two steps behind him. Always. He couldn't escape it. He ran past the monitor womb, the sickbay where he had once laid and past Tim's body again. Around and around. None of the hallways made sense. He thought it led one way but it led another. Stuck in a horrifying maze. A game it seemed.

But this time around he wound up at the cafeteria's huge metal doors. With the sickness closing in and nowhere else to go he heaved open the huge doors and slammed them shut, sliding the lock on them. The Sickness hit them with shattering force and knocked the Dark Knight to the floor. Its wail pierced the air once again but no matter how hard it tried it would not get through.

He caught a distinct scent in the air. A coppery smell and was suddenly afraid to turn around. But did anyway.

He screamed as his eyes caught the gruesome sight before him. It was no longer a mystery of what had happened to the rest of the people in the watchtower. They lay before him now.

The floor was literally a lake of blood. Batman hadn't realized it before but the blood came up to his ankles. The only thing keeping it in the lunchroom were the huge doors and the hunk of metal protruding from the floor in front of the doors. The blood was kept in deliberately. Just for him.

Superheroes lay all around the room dead. Some hanging by their ankles from the ceiling. Gutted and their entrails dangling out. Some were decapitated with their heads on the table. Limbs and organs hung about the room like decorations. All the faces of these heroes were intact. Twisted in agony and horror. The screams and cries still seemed to echo in the air and written in blood on the wall was the word _famished_.

Batman screamed. He screamed and screamed and screamed. The only ones who weren't there were the original seven member save for Clark. Even Dick was there.

"_It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." _He chanted over and over again in his head.

"_Bruce calm down please. Bruce you're safe." _He heard J'onn's voice but then it turned into a plea for help but was not directed at him.

"_It's not real. It's a dream!" _He remembered and tried with all his strength to break free of the nightmare.

The Sickness broke through the doors and attacked but Bruce stayed.

"_It's not real. Not real. Not real." _He felt it dig its claws into his flesh and bite him. He began to feel the bed and opened his eyes.

He still could not see. He had faded from the dream but could not see. The Sickness screamed as it drove its fangs into his thigh and its claws into his face.

"_It's. NOT…REAL!!" _He shouted at the Sickness and the watchtower's sickbay came into view.

He collapsed back onto the soft sheets and surveyed the room. The Sickness was constantly battering his defenses and he knew they would not last. Suddenly Diana spoke his name and he turned towards them. Doing his best to keep the sickness at bay.

He could think of one thing and one thing only to tell them.

"Beware the Shadows. Don't let them near. Beware the Sickness it feeds." His vision faded as the Sickness broke through and shattered his defenses. It began to take over but he tried to send out one final warning to his teammates and his family,

"The Sickness hungers. Kill the Sickness. Save the world." His voice sounded too faint. They couldn't have heard it. Suddenly he's inside his manor but flames eat away at its insides.

He hears screams and coughs and immediately runs towards them to find Alfred struggling to his feet. He grabs his surrogate father, hoists him up over his shoulders, and carries him out of the burning building.

Outside there's no one. Which is odd because fire trucks should have arrived by now. He places Alfred on the cool, damp grass and realizes that he is no longer breathing. His eyes grow large and he performs CPR on the old man but to no prevail. Alfred was gone too.

He screamed once more. He had lost his father yet again. But this time it was entirely his fault.

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**Ha! So what do you guy think now? I thank Miles333 for the great idea that I sorta threw into the mix there! Lets get a big round of applause for Miles333**

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**Get it? I'm not sure how round that looks to you guys but at least I tried.**


	5. Into Fear

**Okay. I have not written anything forever. My imagination took a vacation. But don't you worry its back now. Plus the computer crashed I got th blue screen of death and everything I was so bummed.**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Justice League but the story idea is mine. But I'm open for ideas.

The Shadows Live chapter 5: Into Fear

"The Sickness? What the heck is that?" Sheyera shouted above Bruce's screams.

"I don't know. How am I supposed to know?" Clark shouted back.

"I'm going to have to go in." J'onn whispered.

"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted.

"But I won't be going alone."

"Well who else?" Diana shouted over everyone's screams of "You're crazy"

"Everyone. Whatever has him I think is called the Sickness. I believe that is what he was referring too. He needs help. It has him trapped inside a nightmare. It knows what scares him and seems to feed off of his fear and his references to shadows…well you all saw his eyes."

"We're going into the _Batman's_ mind?" Wally squeaked.

"Yes. Now sit down everyone. I have to draw you into my mind first then we will all enter Bruce's."

"Do we need to do anything?" John asked as he took a seat upon the floor.

"No, just…don't move"

J'onn went around and placed his hands on their temples, closed his eyes and drew them, one by one, into his mind. Then he drew back into his own.

The world was suddenly split in two. Half mars before the war and half was earth. The only people around were the rest of the league and the members of the Batclan.

"Just remember whatever we see in there is not real. Our goal is to find Bruce and help him understand this. Are we ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." Dick responded.

J'onn closed his eyes and suddenly a portal appeared. But the other side was pitch black.

They could hear whispers and a bat flew through the portal. There was a slight whoosh as J'onn entered the portal and was enveloped by the darkness on the other side. One by one the rest of the league and the members of the Batclan entered the portal into Bruce's mind.

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Running inside the pitch black empty watchtower somehow seemed familiar. But how could this have happened before? It couldn't have, he was just being silly.

Batman tore through the endless maze of mismatched hallways. An endless maze with the Sickness right behind him. Where was everyone? Had the Sickness already gotten to them? All this was so familiar but from where?

A small whimper and someone shouting his name drew his attention to Tim huddled underneath a chair. He ran over without hesitation and flung his youngest onto his back.

"Bruce what's going on? What is that!?" Tim shouted from his back.

"I don't know but we've got to stop it." He answered.

He kept running with the feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Then it did. Tim was yanked off his back and flung back into the shadows with the Sickness.

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"Someone help me please!!" Came Bruce's piercing cry from the darkness. Followed by unearthly wails and even more terror filed screams.

"Help me!!"

They tore through the darkness. Dick peeling ahead of everyone to help his surrogate father.

Around and around in an endless maze of hallways in what they recognized to be the watchtower. Trying desperately to reach the incoherent screams of Batman. No one stopped running and no one said anything until one more scream pierced the air.

"TIM!!" The shout was filled with sorrow, anger, and fear. So much that everyone was afraid to continue on.

"_There can be no helping him. Your friend is mine and so are you."_ Came a whisper from all around them. The unearthly voice sending pain through their entire bodies.

"That's not true!" Tim shouted and leapt towards the darkness to find Bruce. Everyone followed in suit.

With Dick in the lead again they ran towards where they last heard the screams. They stopped when and all too eerie sound hit their ears.

_Splish._

_Splash._

_Splish. _

_Splash._

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the sound of Dick throwing up.

"Don't look Tim." Dick gasped and Clark covered Tim's eyes.

There were more screams and gasps and even more retching when they found dream Tim's lifeless body upon the ground.

"Keep going." J'onn whispered. "We knew we would find something like this."

They continued on and as soon as they could began running for all they were worth. This was bad they had to find Bruce. They ran through the hallways until they appeared inside the lunchroom. It was bathed in blood and the rest of the league lay inside dead. They all bit back screams as the sound of the wail reached their ears again.

They turned towards the sound of running feet and saw Bruce tear into the lunchroom not noticing that it was turned into a slaughtering ground. He turned around and slammed the doors shut but was thrown back as the Shadow launched itself into the doors.

Nobody spoke as he lifted his hand up to his face and examined it, nobody could. Dick stepped forward as Bruce turned around.

As he caught sight of the scene behind him his face paled, eyes grew wide, and he began to scream. He fell to his knees and screamed. He screamed and screamed and screamed.

Dick began to panic. He too was scared out of his wits at the moment. He did his best to keep his eyes away from the gruesome scene and away from the blood. Nobody else could even move. He reached his hand out as he neared his father and very gently whispered his name.

"Bruce?" His voice barely made it out.

As a result Bruce jumped and stared menacingly at the figure before him.

"This is a dream Bruce. It's not real. We are." He motioned to the rest of the league.

"I know." He whispered back. "It's just all to convincing sometimes. It can make you forget. Everything. Anything."

A wail pierced the silence and Bruce's eyes shot towards the door as it shattered under the force of the sickness and launched itself at Bruce enveloping him. It then took a form. It looked almost human. But with bright red eyes and glimmering yellow fangs blotted with blood. It remained a shadow. A shadow with long claws and flowing hair.

"_You're proving to be a challenge aren't you?" _Its unearthly voice once again sent pain throughout their bodies

"_You shall not have him. Soon you'll be so deep in shadow that you'll never find your way out."_

Its cry pierced the air once again and soon the blackness had enveloped them in its shroud of fear.

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**To be continued! Da da dum! Do you like? Any ideas? Hmmmmmm? Anyone? Please?**


	6. Sisters of the Light

**Okay here we go my imagination is officially running wild so that means stories galore as long as I get lots of reviews to keep up my happy attitude. Oh lots of ideas works well but Please they have to fit with the story.**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Justice League. But story is mine!! The song is not.

The Shadows Live Chapter 6: Sisters of the Light

"Where are we?" A voice rang through the pitch black all around.

"I don't know." The voice was recognized as J'onn.

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me."_

"What's that?" Wally shouted out.

"It came from over there." Diana whispered.

They walked towards the whispers. They sounded like women but why were there women this deep inside Bruce's mind? As they walked the darkness in front of them faded until a pair of women with raven black hair and white dresses so bright they created a small space where the darkness could not reach.

They twirled together. Their dresses flowing softly at their feet their waist long hair twirling and seemingly hovering above their ears. They sang a song together. Their voices joining perfectly together as they twirled and swayed in tune to their song.

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are Daughters of Sin."_

"_We are laughter in the wind."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are wild, we are free."_

"_Through the darkness follow me."_

"_I am here to break the silence."_

"_I want you to be the voice of mine."_

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me now."_

At this point in their song the large group was noticed and the girls began dancing their way towards them. Never missing a note or skipping a beat in their song.

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are Daughters of Sin."_

"_We are laughter in the wind."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are wild, we are free."_

"_Through the darkness follow me."_

The two women separated and began twirling in opposite directions around the mesmerized Leaguers who couldn't actually believe that they had found something this beautiful inside Bruce's mind.

"_You alone, you can let time stand still."_

"_And you create the missing element."_

"_We're the Fires of Hell."_

"_We're the deep rough sea."_

"_We're the stormy air."_

"_We are we."_

"_We're the ashes of time"_

"_And we're the Banshee."_

"_Through the darkness Sisters follow me!"_

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me now."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are Daughters of Sin."_

"_We are laughter in the wind."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are wild, we are free."_

"_Through the darkness follow me."_

The jingle of their diamond studded dresses became clearer as they danced and sang. Their bright circle of light now enveloping the heroes.

"_Sisters, of the Light."_

"_Of the light."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are Daughters of Sin."_

"_We are laughter in the wind."_

"_Follow me through the night."_

"_We are Sisters of the Light."_

"_We are wild, we are free."_

"_Through the darkness follow me."_

"_We are sister of the light."_

At that point they met, joined hands and bowed to the League.

"_What gives us the honor of visitors tonight?" _The one with purple eyes spoke.

There was only one difference between the two women and it was the color of their eyes. One held a gentle gaze with bright purple eyes while the other, still gentle in her ways, held a more warrior like glare with flaming orange eyes.

"_Isn't it obvious Sister?"_ The orange one spoke this time. _"They search for him. To free him from the Shadow."_

"_Don't mention __**him**__ Sister! He will find us!"_

"Who are you two?" Dick asked, confused.

As the two girls looked at them they found an uncanny resemblance to Diana. In fact the two girls seemed to resemble two halves of Diana. The one with purple eyes seemed to represent her softer more motherly side while the orange on represented the warrior she was raised to be.

"_Did you not listen to our song?" _The purple one asked.

"Yes but who or what are you?"

"_We are sisters. Sisters of the light. The only light in the darkness. We are what is left of his happiness, joy, and hope." _They both said at the same time.

"Can you help us?"

"_Again did you not listen?" _They both smiled as the purple one spoke.

They began to back away but signaled with their fingers and began to sing once more.

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me."_

"_Follow me now"_

They stayed within the boundaries of the orb of light that surrounded these Sisters. Horrendous bloodcurdling roars and howls sounded from outside the light. No one dared step out of it for fear of their lives or sanity.

They followed the girls as they sang. Listening to their beautiful voices at they seemed to cut through the blackness around them. They walked on and on and listened as the girls started a new song.

"_Do you know we've reached somehow the end of every story?"_

"_Welcome to the final show it's here in all it's glory."_

"_All we've been and all we've seen was born so long ago."_

"_In times of joy and times of tear we carried on."_

"_The winds were still did no harm to our shores."_

"_But the seed's already sewn now the storm will come."_

"_Over and over we're downcast"_

"_Only, it's only a dark past."_

"_Do you know we've reached somehow the end of every story?"_

"_Welcome to the final show it's here in all it's glory."_

"_You can run but all you flee is a life of sorrow."_

"_Time will tell what kind of fate will be waiting for us now."_

They stopped suddenly. Their song and their dance. They turned towards the League and the members of the Batclan and spoke simultaneously.

"_This is as far as far as we can guide you. The path is ahead. Go and free him from the Shadow."_

They extended their arms and pointed straight ahead. I light shone illuminating a small narrow passageway.

"Why can't you come?" Wally questioned the two sisters.

"_This is as far as he allows us to go. We are not allowed out. Now go forth and fear no darkness."_

One by one the League and the Batclan left the two beautiful girls behind and disappeared into the passageway but before they were out of range they heard one last call.

"_Free him from the Shadow. Free us. Free us friends."_

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**Well there you go. If you want to hear the songs go to and type in Xandria sisters of the light and end of every story. Review please.**


	7. Bats and Memories

**Okay dokey here we go. This chapter gave me the willies simply from writing it! You have been warned. Here we go R&R!!!**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the JL but the story I do.

The Shadows Live chapter 7: Bats and Memories

The darkness faded bit by bit as they made their way through the narrow passageway. Mists began to roll in gradually and more bats began to flutter about overhead. As the team made their way through this new room the mists began to thicken and form bony hands and pale tortured faces. The heard antagonized wails as the ghostly hands clawed at them but never hurting. Everyone stared into the swirling mists that had formed these ghosts and they were thrown out of their thoughts when J'onn's voice broke through the darkness.

"All of the people he's failed to save." He whispered. Explaining to everyone what they saw.

So many faces in the mist were children. There were police in uniform, a lawyer, and…Jason.

Jason, unlike all the others, stood in full living color. Followed the mists but seemed separate from it altogether. He remained motionless, simply staring. He did not claw or cry out as the others did. He simply stood and stared. Looking exactly the way he did when Joker killed him.

Upon sighting Jason Dick let out a frightened gasp and winced as he beheld the bloody sight. The side of his face was still caved in from Joker's beating. Jason lifted a twisted bloody finger and pointed towards a flock of bats perched upon the ceiling. Or what appeared to be the ceiling. The bats varied in color and size. There were black bats, white bats, and grey bats, big and small bats. There seemed to be hundred perhaps thousands of them clinging to the roof.

After pointing his mangled finger towards the flock of bats Jason smiled and sank into the mists as they rolled away.

The group wandered over towards the flock of bats.

"Memories. The bigger the bat the bigger the impact on his life." J'onn whispered again as his eyes began to glow.

A white one opened its bright pink eyes and stared at them. It let out a light chirp and the large white bat alighted on Wally's shoulder.

Instantly everything around them changed. The bats disappeared and the darkness faded replaced by the casual walls of an Italian restaurant.

Bruce and Diana sat at a table in the far back a blue bandana was tied around her raven black hair. Suddenly two Thanagarians burst through the door and threw quick glances around the room. As this happened Diana grabbed Bruce and brought him into a lengthy kiss which he returned.

"Did a man and a woman run through here?" The Thanagarian questioned the manager.

"No." The manager responded.

"What about those two?" He pointed towards Bruce and Diana.

"Oh. The lovebirds? They've been here for hours."

"Hmmmm."

The Thanagarian left and Diana pulled away.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"Don't be." Bruce smiled.

After a few moments the scene faded back to the gloomy blackness in Bruce's mind. The quiet fluttering of the white bat's wings echoed through the room as it joined the other bats.

A large black bat suddenly threw open its eyes to reveal blood red irises. It screeched as it swooped down and dug its claws into Clark's shoulder.

But this time it was different. Instead of a bright restaurant it changed to a dark run down apartment.

Bruce, dressed in full Batman uniform, was searching the room.

"_There's got to be something you can use to find her. Anything! You're just not looking hard enough!"_ He thought to himself.

He searched and searched and searched then his gaze lingered on the furnace.

He opened the small steel door and dug through the ashes. His hand hit something, something soft and he grabbed a hold of it. What he pulled out and the realization of what it was almost made him cry. He pulled out a small pink blouse.

"_No!"_ He thought.

The barking and baying of dogs brought his attention to the window. He went numb with anger as he beheld the sight the window had in store fro him. He had found her. The three dogs fought, bit, and clawed over a single human arm.

It hit him like a smack in the face. Just as the anger began to boil inside him the sound of shattering glass reached his ears. He turned back towards the window and saw that one of the dogs had broken its chain and smashed its way through the window.

It released a feral snarl, foam dripping from its mouth as it settled back on its haunches. Bruce threw a small pellet at the dog. As it leapt it ran headlong into the pellet as it flew through the air. It exploded on contact blowing the dog's head apart sending bits of flesh and brain flying, splattering on the walls and floor. Batman kicked away an eye as the front door opened revealing a man.

He wasn't built up. In fact he looked more like a couch potato but in an instant Bruce knew this was the man he was looking for. Batman ducked into the shadows.

As the man walked past Bruce he slammed into him knocking the man against the open furnace door. He glared upon the frightened man in a dead silence.

"Why are you here?! I didn't do anything!" The man shouted.

Batman neared him and pulled out the picture of a small six year old girl. He held it to the man's face.

"What? Her? I don't know her. Never seen her in my life. I haven't done anything and there isn't anything you can do that'll make me confess to something I didn't do."

Bruce took the flashlight he was holding and trained it on the dog's gruesome form and stared at him not saying a word.

"Yeah. Fine. I did it." He said with a smile. "I'm a sick old man."

"_This bastard's not going to learn if I just haul him off to prison. Probably been there before. It'd be nothing more than a vacation to him"_

Bruce's anger finally hit him full force when the man smiled. Fuming he walked over to a nearby cabinet and opened it to reveal rows of knives. He reached in and pulled out a large meat cleaver, weighing it in his hands.

"Did you hear what I said!? I confessed take me to prison!"

Bruce approached the man, blade in his strong grip.

"Her name was Marsha." He growled as he leaned down.

"You can't." The man whispered.

"You're right I can't. You need to live." He said as he hauled the man upright. "But I don't think you need these." Batman growled as he set both the man's hands on a cutting block tying them there with a piece of sturdy wire.

"No please don't!" The man screamed at Bruce.

"I wonder how many pleas you heard from Marsha," He said as he raised the blade high above his head. "and ignored." He brought it down.

A loud scream pierced the air as the man fell to the ground. Blood sprayed and spattered against the uncovered part of his face and black mask. He stood for a second, hands quivering with anger. Then he screamed with rage slamming the blade down, splitting the cutting block and embedding the knife in the table. The scene faded.

The group stood in a stunned silence. Jaws hung open like dead fish.

"I guess that's why he tries not to lose his temper." John whispered shakily.

"Think happy thought. Think happy thoughts." Flash mumbled as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. "There are no happy thoughts! Somebody grab a white bat!"

But instead a tiny grey one fluttered down.

"Please don't be bad." Wally whimpered.

It landed on Dick's shoulder and once again the scene changed.

This time it was outside the United Nations plaza. He walked with a look of pure anger in his eyes when someone called his name.

"Batman!" He turned to the sound of the voice.

"Superman?! What are you doing here?"

"The state department asked me to stop by."

"Why?"

"Because they guessed you'd be here."

"_How_ Did they know that?"

"The Iranian Government informed them that you might show up to cause trouble."

"Superman _what's_ going on here?"

"This is _not_ going to be easy to explain Batman. I'm sure I understand how it all came about myself. Iran has a new ambassador to the U.N showing up today. The state department checked. It's all legitimate and by the book. So it seems this man has complete diplomatic immunity. That means _no one_ can arrest him for _any crimes_ in this country. The police can't touch him. Neither can _you_. This immunity also covers _any violations_ of the law he might have committed before being appointed to the post. I'm sorry Batman that's the way it works. We have to go along with this madness. Diplomatic immunity is a two-way street. If we don't honor Iran's rights in this matter there's no reason for them to respect ours."

"I didn't know they ever did. Or did you just forget how they took over our embassy a few years back?" Batman stated as he turned away.

"If you try anything Batman it could start an international incident. I'm here to talk sense into you but I that doesn't work…"

"Who's the ambassador?" Bruce growled as he whirled around to face Clark. "Who?"

"Why don't you just go home?"

"Who?"

"There's nothing you can do."

"WHO?!" As he screamed this he laid one solid punch to Superman's jaw sending him spinning to the side.

"Feel better now?" Clark asked as he stood up straight.

"I think I broke a couple of knuckles…" He groaned holding his hand.

"No. But they're badly bruised. You're lucky I rolled with that punch. You could have crippled yourself." He said as he examined Bruce's hand.

Bruce yanked his hand away from Clark and began to walk away.

"I can't believe you actually did that Batman. What's eating you?"

The scene slowly faded back into the pitch darkness.

"Whoa dude! He decked you?" Tim shouted.

"He was pretty mad."

The group made their way further into the flock of bats until they laid eyes upon a giant black bat. It yawned revealing rows of long blood streaked fags and a necklace of pearls stuck between two of them. It stretched out its huge wings nicking Shayera and sounds penetrated the darkness. Quiet but audible and all knew what horrid memory this black bat symbolized.

A loud bang rang through the room followed by shouts and cries.

"_Mommy!? Daddy!? Wake up! You can't leave me! Mommy Please! Get up!"_

Tears formed in Clark's eyes which he hurriedly brushed away. He needed to focus.

"There." John pointed to a small beam of light illuminating the path to another room in the dark maze.

As they headed towards it one of the larger bats swooped down and began terrorizing them.

"_Where do you think you're going? Who said you could leave?" _It squealed as it clawed at them leaving bloodied marks.

Clark reached out, grabbed the bat, and slung it into the wall. It hopped up and began shouting to the others.

"_What are you doing you fools?! They aren't dead! Get them!!"_

All at once a battle started behind them. The black bats against the white ones the grey remained impassive still rooted to the ceiling. But finally the black began to break through for they far outnumbered the white. A wave of black bats swarmed towards the group.

"RUN!!" J'onn shouted.

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**Whoo! What a workout huh? Lotsa typing did all this in one sitting. Ya I have nothing better to do than write for this site. Hope you liked!**


	8. Confrontations

**Okay it took me forever to write this so I hope that you guys like it. After this I'm working on Sister Cities! Review please. Suggestions are welcome.**

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Disclaimer: Don't own the Justice league sorry. But The Sickness is actually an idea for a villain in a book I'm writing.

The Shadows Live Chapter 8: Confrontations

"Move, move, move!!!" Clark shouted as the swarm of black bats moved towards them.

"What's going on?" Dick shouted at J'onn.

"I do not know!" The sound of fear echoed through the usually stoic martian's voice.

Suddenly a loud, ear-shattering screech tore through the panicky air. The group turned to see the gigantic black bat swooping through the blackness towards them, its mouth opened in a hideous squeal.

"This way!" A familiar voice called out to them.

They looked toward the owner of the voice to see a man in a hooded cloak. The hood shrouding his face in shadow.

"Hurry!" He called again

He picked a lantern from the ground and blew into it, lighting the candle within. He stretched his hand forward and held the lantern out for them to see a hidden pathway. They turned and raced the swarm of bats. As the last person reached the pathway the man threw the lantern down, igniting the ground before the bats.

"Keep going." He growled over the bat's squeals.

They walked silently with this man. They had their suspicions on who he was, for nothing seemed impossible within the Bat's mind.

"What was that?" Shayera all but shouted at the man.

"My mind, my rules." He said simply.

"Bruce?" John asked.

"Brilliant deduction Holmes." You could hear Bruce roll his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

They soon left the narrow passageway, as this happened they all turned to face Bruce. As he emerged from the passageway himself it closed behind him with an ominous thud. As he turned around he sighed and his shoulders drooped. He fell to his knees, ragged breaths turning to ice.

"Bruce!" Clark ran towards him and grabbed his shoulder.

"I'm fine." He gasped. "But you have to get out of here."

"What!?" Barbara shouted to him. "We came in here to get you out! We're not leaving."

"Yes you are. My mind, my rules remember."

"We're not about to leave!" flash stepped forward as he said this. "We need you Bats! It may not look like that but we do!"

"You don't understand! You stay in here you could all go mad!"

"What?"

"You've seen the things in my mind. Things no one should ever have to see let alone experience. Anyone other than me would have gone insane by now. You stay in here you're going to spend the rest of your life in a padded room!"

"We don't care Bruce!" John shouted at him.

"But I do! The world need you guys a lot more than it needs me! You can't sacrifice yourself to save one man! You're too important!"

"Stop being so damned selfless!"

"You don't have much time." He said as he stood.

He pushed Clark away and steadied himself. He brought his hand down as if slicing through the air. This cut through the blackness opening what appeared to be a window that revealed the watchtower's sickbay, all of them still sitting on the floor.

"Go."

"Bruce." Diana whispered.

"Go now!"

Dick stepped forward.

"Dad please." He said, tears streaming down his face.

Bruce sighed sadly, breath icy. He reached up and removed his hood revealing a pained face. His eyes remained closed.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way." He said as he opened his eyes, revealing the same black eyes as before. "But it does and for that I am sorry." Tears leaked from his eyes. But instead of being clear they were the same deep black as his eyes.

Suddenly a loud unearthly wail pierced the air. Bruce's eyes grew wide with fear.

"He found us! You have no more time! You have to leave now!"

"What found us?!"

"Him. The shadow. The Sickness! No time go!!"

He stepped away and a large gust of wind came and blew them into the window. But before they all went through Bruce grabbed Dick and hugged him tightly.

"I will see you again." He whispered through tears. "I promise." He laid a gentle kiss on his forehead and pushed him towards the window.

Dick grabbed a hold of the edge, unwilling to leave until he saved his father. This couldn't be the end. He hadn't spoken to him since the fight they had. He hadn't had the chance to tell him he was sorry. Didn't get to tell Bruce what he meant to him, how much he loved him.

A pair of glowing red eyes appeared behind Bruce. He turned and stared them down. The sight of those demonic eyes sent chills up Dick's spine but still he did not let go.

"_Your friends cannot help you. You are proving to be more of a challenge than I anticipated."_ The shadow hissed, Dick winced in pain as the voice sent white hot flares wracking through his body.

"There is nothing more you can do to me that the world has not already done demon!" Bruce shouted defiantly. " Have at it and know this! If I fall you will have to face my friends and family, they will not stop until the light finally penetrates you! You shall fall demon. You shall fall!"

"_Words fleshling. Words. After I have had my fill of you the world shall become shadow and blood."_

"You know not what you are up against demon! Now come! Blessed darkness I welcome you! If I cannot defeat you they shall! The light shall have you! Now die!"

He leapt forward as glimmering yellow fangs opened. The shadow moved forward and they met with resounding force. Teeth clamped down, blood sprayed, red eyes faded, and screams lingered in the darkness.

"NOOOO!" Dick screamed as his grip finally failed and he was swept back into his own mind, leaving his father to battle the Sickness.

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**Oh yeah. I hope this is to your satisfaction people. Review for me! I have to update on some other stories now. I hope you loved this and I hope to update again soon. I'm dealing with some severe writers block right now so I'm sorry for taking so long.**


	9. Dreams In Darkness

**Here we go. This chapter might take some thinking but you tell me if it was good or not okay? Okay I'm glad we all got the message and if you didn't here's the simplified version REVIEW!!!!!! Thank you that is all. Enjoy the story.**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. Nope not one bit. But oh do I wish.....

The Shadows Live Chapter 9: Dreams In Darkness

Dick gasped as he snapped his head up, he was in back in the infirmary of the Watchtower. He heard screams and looked back to where his father lay on the bed. Bloodied gashes appearing on his form as his body convulsed and thick blood bubbled past the borders of his jaws.

He stood and ran over to the bed that everyone was gathered around and watched, horrified, at the scene in front of him. Blood was beginning to pool underneath Bruce on the, once white, sheets from the deep gashes forming on his mutilated body. He lifted his head and screamed as blood spattered from the newly formed gash in his side. He screamed again as another was made slashing across his abdomen and spilling his intestines into the scarlet mixture.

Everyone was shouting, the mixture of their voices melting together in the heated air causing them to become one inaudible shout. Each one was swiftly working on stopping the bleeding while Clark attempted to hold the man's entrails in his stomach where they belonged. Each person shouting and panicking in their own fashion.

Clark attempted to hold Bruce together through misty tears while Wally stood off to the side with wide eyes and a look of horror carved into his normally joyful features. Shayera growled angrily and shouted at Bruce to wake up with John working swiftly on stopping the bleeding and stitching the wounds. J'onn's eyes glowed as his hands settled on Bruce's face and Diana held Bruce's hand with tears of her own dripping down her face.

I snapped out of my standing coma and rushed over to help John while Tim and Barbara calmed Wally down who had begun screaming hysterically due the amount of blood and gore all focused on Bruce's convulsing form.

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POV: Bruce

Pain was all there was after Dick left. I could hear J'onn screaming at me as he tried to re-enter my mind and help purge this unwelcomed presence. He couldn't come back, it would get him too. This was my fight and mine alone no interference anymore. Just me and The Sickness. So I battled both a friend and an enemy simultaneously.

But suddenly everything changed in front of me. I remembered everything this time though, the Sickness wasn't even trying what was it doing?

It was then that I realized how small I was. I looked around the damp puddle covered alleyway then up to see the starry sky slowly being covered by dark rainclouds. I heard laughter behind me and turned around to see....

"_No, it can't be. Not this. Anything but this!"_

"What's wrong Bruce?" My Mother's melodious voice rang out amidst my growing horror.

"Yeah Scout what going on you were so happy when we saw the movie." My Father's masculine voice stated in concern.

"No, I'm fine." I said as I flashed them a grin.

I don't know why I said that. It just surfaced from within my throat as if my voice had a mind of its own. An unrestrainable fear bubbled in my gut as I realized what I was about to see. I had seen this scene many times in my nightmares but each time was that much worse. It broke me every time and I wept bitter tears alone in the darkness of my room beneath the softened sheets that still seemed to hold a lingering scent of them.

I began to panic as we wandered ever closer to that fatal spot where Bruce Wayne died and the Batman was born in his stead. Suddenly it happened, the gunshot sounded and I turned to see my parents falling to the cool damp ground, looks of pain and horror plastered on their kind faces.

Suddenly my vision changed and I looked upon myself as an eight year old boy crying over my parents. I could hear my younger self crying and screaming for my parents to come back. I followed the thin grey tendril in the air down to see the smoking gun in my black gloved hand, I gasped in horror as the realization hit me.

My jaw dropped and I threw the gun in disgust as I stared into a puddle that had formed on the ground, scarlet mixing with the fresh raindrops as my crime became ever more clear. I stared into the puddle to be greeted with the cowled hard face of Batman. My heart seemed to stop and my hands shook violently as I looked back towards eight year old Bruce Wayne.

Then it hit me. Had what I become essentially killed my parents? Was I becoming what I wanted to fight? Was I just as bad as them? No, it wasn't a question. How could I even ask myself that? Of course it was my fault. It always had been. It wasn't the robber who pulled the trigger that night, it was me. It always was and always would be.

It was my birthday that day and I had begged to go see the movie. _I _wanted to go on that trip, that outing, that killed them. If I hadn't done that they would still be alive. Alive and well. A tear fell to the fading pavement as more followed behind. Black tears showing my sin, I was a murderer. I wailed to the darkness with my newfound sorrow crying my dark black tears of a tainted soul. I couldn't be saved now. I didn't deserved to be saved.

I fell to my knees as more and more black tears fell into the never-ending abyss that was my mind. Yet another sign that my life was not worth the trouble of being saved. I had finally seen, I had finally been broken and I could feel my life draining from me. I welcomed it. It was what I deserved.

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The rest of the League watched, terrified, as the heart monitor's quick beeping began to slow steadily. It went below Bruce's average heart rate and still descended even further. They were losing him. With each second that passed they were losing him. Until eventually a loud steady tone ran through the Watchtower and at that moment Clark burst.

"NO!!! Bruce you goddamned son of a bitch! You CAN'T give up. We need you!" He shouted as more crystal tears began streaming down his face.

He moved forward and began pounding on Bruce's chest, determined to keep his heart beating. Everyone else simply stood rooted to their spots on the floor.

"You can't give up! Do you hear me Bruce!? You can't give up! DON'T QUIT ON US BRUCE!!!!!"

He kept up his furious CPR as he screamed at Bruce not to quit. That he couldn't' just quit. He was the freaking Batman for goodness sake! Batman does NOT give up and he certainly does not quit.

But still Clark did not give up. As J'onn's eyes glowed ferociously he pounded on Bruce's chest while a tensness filled the room no one had felt before in their lives. Because now, one of their own hung on the brink of the abyss. The one no one expected to see die, especially not like this.

Bruce began to glow a deep black as his hair began floating, as if underwater. His teeth lengthened into long, sharp fangs as he let loose a satisfied hiss. By now even Clark had lost his hope of getting his friend back.

And then.....the unthinkable happened.

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POV: Batman

I could feel myself slipping closer and closer to the blackness that had called to me since the death of my parents. Until now I had never let it take me.

"_So this is what it's like to finally give in? To surrender to your fate instead of fighting it?" _I thought as the air became thicker than syrup, or Wally's coffee.

I could feel a cold numbness creep over me as I continued to fall deeper and deeper. Death approached, I could feel its icy breath on my skin, its bony fingers dragging me further into the abyss.

"_**NO!!! Bruce you goddamned son of a bitch! You CAN'T give up! We need you!" **_I heard Clark's voice just barely through everything.

"_I'm sorry Clark. Not this time. You can't save me. This is what I deserve."_

"_Bruce." _J'onn's voice broke through the syrupy air and pounded my head with resounding force. _"You cannot give in. You cannot quit."_

I shut him out. I knew that he knew what I was thinking. He knew that I had finally realized that it was truly my fault they had died and I was finally paying the price for that. Then suddenly I felt it. A presence that I had long forgotten, moving its putrid self through my body. Controlling it, using it, devouring it.

"_THE SICKNESS!!!"_ Suddenly it all came back to me.

If I fell than how would they defeat it? It was the most powerful thing I had ever faced. That we had ever faced. But only I knew what it thought, how it worked. It had been inside my mind but I had been inside its. I knew what it was planning. It was one fatal flaw in this demon. In order to devour you it had to merge with you and once it's done so it is very hard to unmerge. So I learned what it knew and why it wanted me. I was the one man who it thought would provide the biggest challenge to it. I was a plaything. A toy. I was no one's toy, or no thing's toy for that matter. I was not going to let this.....this...THING take me. I wasn't going out like this. I needed to go down fighting. In a fiery explosion or a sword through my gut. A warrior's death, an honorable one. Where was the honor in quitting?

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Bruce's heart began beating once again, but after Clark had already stopped. Bruce's hair fell back down and the yellow fangs retreated back into his bloody gums. As he lifted his head and screamed the group could hear two voices. One belonged to Bruce while the other's was clearly The Sickness.

More brutal gashes and bites appeared as Bruce sat up on the bed. Breathing heavily he screamed again and a loud wail tore through the air as a Shadow poured out of Bruce's eyes and mouth. Taking the form of a wailing face as it resisted. Bruce's face hardened as the battle came to a standstill when suddenly the Shadow was purged from him, sending both Hero and Shadow into opposite walls.

The Shadow wailed as it stood, taking its human-like form. It opened its mouth, showing rows of glimmering yellow fangs as darkness spread throughout the room. It wailed loudly causing the rest of the League to fall to their knees, covering their ears from the unearthly sound.

A crash resounded through the med bay and the team looked up to see Bruce standing, seemingly wrestling with the Shadow.

"I know what you are!" He hissed with an evil grin. "I've seen your thoughts. You've merged with me and that is something you cannot undo! You made the mistake of your unholy life by coming here and now I will end it."

The Shadow wailed again and pushed Bruce back a few steps, slashing at him with its claws. He backed up and threw his hands out in front of him. Black tendrils snaking from his fingers and looping around the Sickness. It hissed and dispersed into a simple untouchable shadow and flew from the room.

The black tendrils faded as Bruce slumped to the floor. Everyone immediately rose and ran over to him. Clark laid a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He whispered

"No Clark. No I'm not and I never will be. Not anymore." He gasped as he hid his eyes from the Man-of-Steel.

"Bruce?" He gently grabbed the man's chin and turned his face towards them.

Bruce's eyes were gently closed but as soon as he felt Clark's gaze on him he opened them to reveal the same black eyes he had since the beginning. Everyone bit back a gasp as he turned his now demonic stare on each of them.

"Is it over?" Wally gulped to try and distract himself from those eyes.

"No Wally. Far from it. In fact this is just the beginning." He whispered as shadows began to seep towards the group from the corners and cracks where they had been banished by the light.

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**Whooo! Man I got goosebumps writing this. I am proud. Tell me what you think guys. I have other stuff to do now. See you next time. Chow!**


	10. Part of him

**Okay. I really need to work on my stories more. Keep me in your thoughts and keep in mind that you might not be hearing from me as much. I might have fibromyalgia so typing hurts but I refuse to give up on any stories! Hang in there guys. Oh! And don't forget to review!**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the JL. Oh but how it would be cool if I did.

The Shadows Live Chapter 10: Part of Him

"He's been in there for hours." Clark whispered as he peered through the darkened window of the gym.

"He says that he is in a conference and that we should leave him be." J'onn whispered back as Wally approached with a tray of food.

"With who? There's no one in there." Wally hissed as he joined the other two men in peeking into the dark gym.

"He's speaking with something, look." J'onn pointed a green finger toward Bruce and sure enough he appeared to be in a heated debate with something.

"I don't understand why he has to have the lights out though."

Suddenly Bruce's shoulders drooped and a crash was head soon afterwards as Wally slipped and crashed into the window. A gasp was let out by all as Bruce whirled on them, shadows fading and allowing light to fill the room, with eyes glowing an ominous red. He blinked this redness away as he exited the room, stopping to talk with them.

"When I say alone, I mean _alone_." He growled as he set his jet black eyes on them.

"What are you doing anyway?! You need to rest you were nearly cut to ribbons!" Clark shouted.

"I can manage boyscout."

"Those bandages won't hold you together, you need to rest."

"And while I rest allow The Sickness to overrun the Earth?! It had far more power than even you Clark! It feeds on pain and fear as well as flesh which are three things provided in abundance down there! I can't rest."

With that Bruce walked off but J'onn followed and soon Wally appeared with another tray of food.

"Who were you talking to?" J'onn asked as Bruce was handed the tray by an unusually firm Flash.

"The shadows." He responded as he grabbed the tray and waved off Wally who whooshed away in a blur of crimson.

"The shadows?"

"Yes." He lifted his hand and a black tendril leaped from the tiniest crack in the wall forming a sphere rolling in Bruce's palm. "The shadows are more than they seem J'onn. They have thoughts, feelings, and even voices but they are too quiet to hear. Unless you listen. When that icy tingle hits your spine in the middle of the night, when the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? That's them."

"How can you...?" J'onn gestured toward the black sphere in his hand.

"When The Sickness devours you, it unintentionally links with you. A link that cannot be undone and as a result I can manipulate and hear shadows. The very darkness itself."

"Did you get anything else out of the link?"

"Yes. I know it's one weakness. How it works, how it thinks and that is our ace in the hole for this battle."

"Take it easy Bruce. You don't want to hurt yourself even more."

"I have to find out where it is J'onn." Bruce said as he retreated back into the gym.

He let loose a sigh as the metal door hissed closed and the shadows leaped back out to him. A small hiss reached his ears and he gazed in the darkness around him.

"I don't know." He whispered.

Another hiss answered him, a little bit more forcefully this time.

"How am I supposed to know where he went?!"

He paused to listed to the answering hiss.

"Scry? I can do that?"

Various hisses and squeals sounded, quiet as that of a wasp walking on a windowpane, but Bruce heard it all the same.

"Alright. Just guide me through it."

With the instruction of the hisses he sat on the floor and poured his cup of water onto the tray after emptying it. He pulled a strand of blackness from the air as it was offered to him and mixed it with the water in the tray. He extended his finger and stirred the water until it became as black as ink.

"Future past, future present from you I do beseech knowledge that lies beyond my reach. Troubled thoughts beyond your heart, I pray you now those thoughts impart."

Suddenly ripples passed through the black water, as if pebbles were dropping in and with each ripple a picture formed clearer and clearer. Bruce gazed into the forming picture his heart sank as the water revealed Gotham's welcome sign with a large shadow looming over it.

"No." Bruce whispered as he turned away. "Not Gotham. Gotham's its feeding ground? No."

He stood and ran from the room, hitting his comm' link to contact the others.

"Yes Batman?" They answered in unison.

"Get to the hangar."

"Bruce did you eat?" It was Flash.

"No. There's no time we have to go."

"Bruce come on! You've got to be kidding me!"

"Gotham."

"I beg your pardon?" John asked.

"The Sickness. It's in Gotham. Gotham's its feeding ground. It's going to kill hundreds of people and grow stronger with each and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let that happen."

".....We'll meet you there." Clark answered.

Mark Powers strolled down the streets of Gotham while silently cursing his girlfriend. How could she be so dense? Was it even possible for a girl to be that stupid? He sighed as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. HE inhaled deeply, allowing the smoke to blow away all of his worries.

"_Gotham is burning." _The ominous whisper penetrated his thoughts suddenly.

"Who's there?" He demanded as he stood straight, ready for a fight.

"_Gotham is bleeding."_

"Now you come out! I mean it."

"_You're mine!"_ What once was a simple hiss became a dangerous sounding scream of a predator.

Mark gasped and took off but his feet were swept from beneath him and he was dragged, screaming, into the alley by a thick tendril of black. His screams sounded for blocks as loud wet crunches rang through the darkness of the alley. Horrified people stood and watched with widened eyes, too terrified to move as more black tentacles shot out and grabbed them. Red eyes formed in the impenetrable blackness as The Sickness drew people into its yellow jaws.

It rose from its hiding spot with an unearthly wail and yanked up more and more people growing stronger with each kill. The Shadow Stretched its clawed hand forward, hissing menacingly as it grabbed its next victim. The red headed woman screamed in terror as she was brought up toward it mighty jaws. Bloodstained fangs glimmering in the setting sun it devoured her. It released a victorious wail to the red sky stained with the blood of its many kills as it swept through the city feeding on all the fear polluting its streets. With each feed its strength grew and grew until not even the sun could prevail over its darkness. The city was overrun. Screams were all that could be heard and darkness all that could be seen.

"_This wold is mine!"_ It roared, flaunting its assumed victory.

Or was it assumed? After all what could stand against a creature so powerful.

**Whoot! I love that ending. Anyone think they know how The Sickness is gonna go down? Please tell me and it you don't have one think on up pronto! But hey reviews are good either way! See you next time!**


	11. NOTICE!

Hey guys. Oh my god I am sooooooo sorry for not updating in FOREVER! To be honest I am not sure when I will update again. I have everything planned out and I DO write but when I try everything comes out as crap and I certainly don't want to put anything bad up here. Not that the writing is all that good to begin with but hey it's fanfiction! I AM trying and I am so sorry. Most of my writing now is in articles and nonfiction and the book series that I NEED to get finished. For those of you who are reading The Legend of the Sister Cities, I am taking that one down. I'm sorry but I just got my monster from The Shadows Live snatched and put on a TV. show so I'm paranoid and I plan on making that into a book that connects with the afore mentioned book series.

Once again I am so sorry! I will be adding things to some stories like: The Outsider, and probably rewriting some others.

I'm going to keep trying. I'm not giving up on you guys! I swear it! This is not the end! (Dramatic sword raise or something...)


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